Farewell speech

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Napoleon saying farewell to the Old Guard at the Palace of Fontainebleau, after his first abdication (1814) Montfort - Adieux de Napoleon a la Garde imperiale.jpg
Napoleon saying farewell to the Old Guard at the Palace of Fontainebleau, after his first abdication (1814)

A farewell speech or farewell address is a speech given by an individual leaving a position or place. They are often used by public figures such as politicians as a capstone to the preceding career, or as statements delivered by persons relating to reasons for their leaving. The term is often used as a euphemism for "retirement speech," though it is broader in that it may include geographical or even biological conclusion.

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In the Classics, a term for a dignified and poetic farewell speech is apobaterion (ἀποβατήριον), standing opposed to the epibaterion, the corresponding speech made upon arrival. [1]

U.S. presidential farewell addresses

Many U.S. presidential speeches have been given the moniker "farewell address" since George Washington's address in 1796. [2] Some notable examples:

Other notable farewell speeches

Related Research Articles

The expression military–industrial complex (MIC) describes the relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it, seen together as a vested interest which influences public policy. A driving factor behind the relationship between the military and the defense-minded corporations is that both sides benefit—one side from obtaining weapons, and the other from being paid to supply them. The term is most often used in reference to the system behind the armed forces of the United States, where the relationship is most prevalent due to close links among defense contractors, the Pentagon, and politicians. The expression gained popularity after a warning of the relationship's detrimental effects, in the farewell address of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 17, 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential inauguration</span> Ceremony marking the start of a new presidential term

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weekly address of the president of the United States</span> Regular radio speech of the American president

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Barack Obama</span> 56th United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was the most viewed inauguration since that of Ronald Reagan in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 2009 Barack Obama speech to a joint session of Congress</span>

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. It was his first public address before a joint session. Similar to a State of the Union Address, it was delivered before the 111th United States Congress in the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives in the United States Capitol. Presiding over this joint session was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Joe Biden, the vice president in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Oval Office Address</span> Speech by the President of the United States

An Oval Office address is a type of speech made by the president of the United States, usually in the Oval Office at the White House. It is considered among the most solemn settings for an address made by a leader, and is most often delivered to announce a major new policy initiative, on the occasion of a leader's departure from office, or during times of national emergency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address</span> 1961 speech by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower's farewell address was the final public speech of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th president of the United States, delivered in a television broadcast on January 17, 1961. Perhaps best known for advocating that the nation guard against the potential influence of the military–industrial complex, a term he is credited with coining, the speech also expressed concerns about planning for the future and the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending, the prospect of the domination of science through federal funding and, conversely, the domination of science-based public policy by what he called a "scientific-technological elite". Eisenhower played a significant role in the creation of this "elite" and its position of power, and thus there is an element of irony in his warning against it. This speech and Eisenhower's Chance for Peace speech have been called the "bookends" of his administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second inauguration of Barack Obama</span> 57th United States presidential inauguration

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speeches of Barack Obama</span> Overview of Barack Obamas speeches

Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Before his presidency, he served in the Illinois Senate (1997–2004) and the United States Senate (2005–2008).

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2016 to January 20, 2017. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Donald Trump</span> 58th United States presidential inauguration

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Trump's first term as president and Mike Pence's only term as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event was the 58th presidential inauguration. Held in Washington, D.C., from January 17 to 21, 2017, inaugural events included concerts, the swearing-in ceremony, a congressional luncheon, parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The inauguration was protested worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama's farewell address</span> The farewell address of Barack Obama

Barack Obama's farewell address was the final public speech of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, delivered on January 10, 2017 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The farewell address was broadcast on various television and radio stations and livestreamed online by the White House. An estimated 24 million people watched the address live on television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs</span> Unit within the U.S. presidents office

The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) is a unit of the White House Office, within the Executive Office of the President. It serves as the primary liaison between the White House and state, county (or county-equivalent), local, and tribal governments. The office focuses on building new and maintaining current relationships with governors, tribal leaders, mayors, state legislators, and county executives. The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs works with federal agencies and departments to ensure appropriate coordination between state, local, and tribal governments and the federal government. The Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House Office for the Biden administration was Julie Chavez Rodriguez until she resigned on May 16, 2023 to become Biden's Campaign Manager for his 2024 reelection bid. Tom Perez became Director on June 12, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Joe Biden</span> 59th United States presidential inauguration

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States took place on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was the 59th inauguration and marked the commencement of Joe Biden's only term as president and Kamala Harris' only term as vice president. Biden took the presidential oath of office, before which Harris took the vice presidential oath of office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump's first farewell address</span> The first farewell address of Donald Trump

Donald Trump's first farewell address was the final official speech of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, delivered as a recorded, online video message on January 19, 2021. The farewell address was delivered the day before Joe Biden, who defeated him in the 2020 United States presidential election, was sworn in as his successor. Trump was the first president to not attend his successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson in 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of communication by presidents of the United States</span>

Many different means of communication have been used over the history of communications by presidents of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech</span> 2022 speech by US President Joe Biden

The Battle for the Soul of the Nation was a speech given by U.S. President Joe Biden on September 1, 2022, two months before the 2022 midterm elections. It was televised during prime time from the front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Biden was critical of Donald Trump and Republicans adhering to the Make America Great Again movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Biden's farewell address</span> The farewell address of Joe Biden

Joe Biden's farewell address was the final official speech of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, delivered in the Oval Office on January 15, 2025.

The expression tech–industrial complex describes the relationship between a country's tech industry and its influence on the concentration of wealth, censorship or manipulation of algorithms to push an agenda, spread of misinformation and disinformation via social media and artificial intelligence, and public policy. The expression is used to describe Big Tech, Silicon Valley, and the largest IT companies in the world. The term is related to the military-industrial complex, and has been used to describe the United States Armed Forces and its adoption of AI-enabled weapons systems. The expression was popularized after a warning of the relationship's detrimental effects, in the farewell address of U.S. President Joe Biden on January 15, 2025.

References

  1. 1 2 PD-icon.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). "Apobatedion". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. p. 115.
  2. "Barack Obama's Farewell Address and 6 Other Memorable Presidential Goodbyes". Time. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  3. "Remarks by President Trump In Farewell Address to the Nation". The White House. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  4. Chandra, G. (2008). Narrating Violence, Constructing Collective Identities. Palgrave MacMillan UK. p. 134.